Here are your morning headlines for Monday, September 17:
- Ohio State Fair contract with operator of fatal ride;
- Akron borrows more money for sewer project;
- Boyfriend charged after remains of missing woman Akron found;
- Ohio Supreme Court to decide conviction for couple who failed to receive medical care for daughter;
- Construction project begins on State Route 8;
Ohio State Fair ends contract with operator of fatal ride
The Ohio State Fair has ended its relationship with a New Jersey company that operated a ride that killed a man when it broke apart in July 2017. A panel appointed by the Ohio Exposition Commission ousted Amusements of America, which had provided fair rides and amusements for 26 years. Texas-based Talley Amusements won the four-year contract in a competition based on point scoring. The decision comes days after 19-year-old Jennifer Lambert, who was severely injured when the swinging and spinning Fire Ball ride fell apart, died of liver failure. Her attorney says it's not known yet whether her death was caused by those injuries. 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell was killed in the accident.
Akron borrows more money for sewer project
The city of Akron is borrowing more money for its billion-dollar sewer project. The Beacon Journal reports city council will vote today on $10 million in bonds to help pay for one of two dozen projects designed to separate sewage and rainwater. To date, the city has borrowed $541 million and it’s completed 14 of 23 projects. The debt is being paid for by sewer rate increases.
Boyfriend charged after remains of missing woman Akron found
Authorities say remains found in a shallow grave in the backyard of an Akron home are those of a missing woman and that her boyfriend has been charged with murder. The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the remains as those of 53-year-old Martha “Robin” Freitag. Her daughter reported her missing Sept. 5 after not being able to reach her since late July. 52-year-old David Callaghan has been charged with murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.
Supreme Court to decide if sentence in child's death is too long
The Ohio Supreme Court will consider whether the sentence given to an Ohio couple convicted of failing to obtain medical care for their special-needs daughter who died is too long. The court agreed to hear an appeal filed by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office after a local appellate court vacated the 10-year sentences of 46-year-old Randy Jones and 49-year-old Carissa Jones. They were convicted in 2015 of involuntary manslaughter and child endangering in 12-year-old Tia Jones' death. Doctors said Tia died in 2013 after an abscess on her ankle became gangrenous, causing a staph infection that led to pneumonia. She weighed 64 pounds when she died. The 8th District Court of Appeals said the couple did what they thought best in caring for her.
Construction project begins on State Route 8
Drivers can expect some slowdowns on State Route 8 North. The Ohio Department of Transportation is kicking off the first phase of a reconstruction project near Graham Road in Stow. The entire $48 million, four-year project includes replacing nearly six miles between Graham Road and state Route 303 in northern Summit County. The project is expected to be complete in 2022.
